Claim
by shelllessturtle
Summary: To claim is to assert one's right to. When Emily must pretend to be interested in another man, Aaron reacts strongly. Hotch/Emily, spoilers for 4x13, "52 Pickup". Rated T for the fact that I cannot filter my language. Sequel to "Realize."


A/N: Okay, so this is a week late. In my defense, when I signed up to be run crew for Les Miserables, I was _not_ expecting to have to hold the assistant stage manager's hand for the first damn week. I also thought that maybe my boss would give another hour or two off. Instead, well, most days I work from eight in the morning to eleven-thirty at night with two to two and a half hours of break. In other words, my ducklings, I was a bit too busy trying to keep myself showered, fed and well-enough-rested to even _finish_ this.

But now it is finished. And, to make up for it being late, I am going to fulfill my Neenie's request that I post the Hotch/Emily fic that she wrote for me, "First Date", on my account. I don't know why she won't post it on her account, but whatever. You should go read it, then PM her (Fanfiction's URL + u/2441717/LinkLuver3) and tell her what you thought. Personally, _I_ think that it's the most adorable thing ever, but I may be slightly biased because A) Neenie wrote it and B) Paget Brewster.

Plus plus also and, I have a Thing in the works that is popping along nicely, (and I don't even have to rewatch an episode to write it! [that's actually one of the reasons this one took so long; I never had a span of time long enough to actually rewatch "52 Pickup"]), and it's painfully adorable and I will have it up soon (no seriously it's almost done).

Okay. That was a long note. So, without further ado (okay, a bit further ado):

Disclaimer: I own a whole lot of nothing, but I promise to play gently and put them back when I'm done.

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She couldn't keep the disgust off her face as "Viper" made his interest in her clear. She felt more than saw the tension build in Aaron as the other man looked her over. More than ever before, she wished they hadn't agreed not to be openly affectionate on cases, because she knew that little more than a prior relationship with stave off this creep's advances.

As they walked away and Morgan stared the other man down, she felt Aaron's fingers brush down her arm and gently touch the inside of her waist. She wasn't entirely sure what he meant by it, whether he wanted to remind her that not everyone who found her attractive was a creep, or to subtly establish his claim.

The second option didn't bother her as much as it might have with someone else; Aaron was hers as much as she was his, and she knew that he view their possession of each other not as an ownership, but as a promise. She also knew, though, that he hated when other men treated her as an object that was theirs for enjoyment.

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"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

She had to duck her head to hide a smile as Aaron asked her again.

"Honestly, if I have Jordan with me, it's going to be fun," she replied.

"Emily." His voice was soft and serious, and when she looked up, he was just outside her personal space. His hand slid down her arm once more, but this time he twined their fingers together. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he continued. "It's irrational, I know. You could take him out easily if he tried anything. I just—I _hated_ the way he looked at you. Like you were something he could devour."

Aaron was suddenly very much inside her personal space, leaving only centimeters between their bodies. He radiated power, dominance, and heat, and she shivered as a thrill ran through her body. "And devouring you," he murmured, "is _my_ privilege."

His free hand was in the small of her back, and she had no idea how—or when—it had gotten there. Gently, he pulled her into him, closing the distance between them and pressing their bodies together.

There was nothing gentle about the way he covered her mouth with his or the ensuing kiss. She simply grabbed his shoulder and surrendered control, unable to keep tiny sounds from spilling out whenever he did something particularly wicked with his tongue.

She pulled away what seemed like hours later, dragging heavy breaths into starved lungs, only to feel Aaron trace open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and down her neck to her pulse point. As he applied ever-increasing suction, she felt desire for him stab through her body.

"Aaron," she moaned quietly, and moved her hand from his shoulder to his hair, holding him in place. She knew she would have to thoroughly cover the area with makeup to hide the mark, but the thought of having Aaron's claim stamped on her skin made her feel infinitely better about the idea of what she had to do.

By the time he pulled back, she wouldn't have been surprised if a dark bruise were already welling up under her skin.

"Emily." He breathed her name like a prayer and rested his forehead against hers. Eyes sliding open, he glanced down at her mouth. "I smudged your lipstick."

"I can reapply it," she assured him. They stood holding each other in silence for a few moments longer before she finally said, "I have to get dressed, Aaron."

He nodded, released her, and moved towards the door. Hand on the knob, he glanced back at her. "Please come back to me in one piece."

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She had been right; baiting the asshole with Jordan had been a lot of fun. Her acting skills had always been good, but she had to admit, if only privately, that pretending to be interested had been easier when she had been thinking about Aaron.

Still, it was better to be actually _with_ Aaron. Another case solved, another bad guy caught, and all that was left was the paperwork and the flight home. She and Aaron sat across from each other on the jet, a table between them, their respective noses in their respective files. Glancing up at him just in time to catch his eyes darting away from her, she had to fight hard to keep her smile internal.

She determinedly kept her gaze on her file as she stretched her leg out and slid her foot up Aaron's calf.

"Prentiss," he said quietly, a subtle note of warning in his voice.

"Yes, sir?" she replied innocently.

Writing something down, he said, "Do you think this is an apt description?" He turned the file around, his finger under the words, _You are going to regret that_, printed lightly in his neat script.

Fighting to keep the laughter out of her voice, she ran her foot up his other leg and said, "Yeah, that's pretty accurate."

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Lying in bed that night, she could only think that she needed to get Aaron possessive and then tease him more often. She rested atop him bonelessly, her head pillowed on his chest, his heart beating steadily under her ear. Aaron's hand was set between her shoulder blades, his fingers tracing nonsense against her skin.

"You're beautiful, Emily." She felt the words rumbling in his chest as his arm snaked around her waist and he squeezed her gently.

It was one of her favorite things about him; no matter the situation, no matter what else was going on, he always made her feel wanted, treasured, and loved. Proving how much he cherished her was his way of staking his claim, of showing the world she was his, and it was exactly what set him apart from "Viper" and similar men.

So that night, sweaty and sleepy and happy, instead of replying flippantly, or turning his comment into an all-out flirting session which would lead to very little sleep, among other things, like she usually did, she turned her head, pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder, and whispered, "Thank you."

**~To Be Continued in "Comfort"~**

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A/N2: Okay, I feel a little weird asking for reviews when this is a week late, but hey, I like the attention! So, tell me what you think! I mean, even if it's just to bitch at me for being so late. TALK TO ME PLEASE.

Also, can I say that it kind of irritates me that Fanfiction won't even let you have INTERNAL LINKS in stories? Like, you can't even link to stories that came before in a series. I am of the opinion that it is very stupid.


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